1986–87 New York Knicks season

The 1986–87 NBA season was the Knicks' 41st season in the NBA^[1] and the last time they would miss the playoffs until their 2001–02 season.

1986–87 New York Knicks season
Head coach	Hubie Brown Bob Hill
General manager	Scotty Stirling
Arena	Madison Square Garden
Results
Record	24–58 (.293)
Place	Division: 5th (Atlantic) Conference: 11th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
Television	WOR-TV MSG Network (Marv Albert, John Andariese)
Radio	WNBC (Jim Karvellas, Ernie Grunfeld)
< 1985–86 1987–88 >

With second-year center Patrick Ewing still struggling with injuries and after starting the season 4–12, head coach Hubie Brown was fired and Bob Hill took over for the rest of the season. Brown returned to coach the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2002–03 season. Bernard King, only able to play six games this year, was released at the end of the season, signing as a free agent with the Washington Bullets.

Draft picks

Main article: 1986 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	5	Kenny Walker	SF	United States	Kentucky
2	47	Michael Jackson	PG	United States	Georgetown
4	71	Calvin Thompson		United States	Kansas
5	94	Jerome Mincey		United States	Alabama-Birmingham
6	117	Butch Wade		United States	Michigan
7	140	Duane Kendall		United States	South Carolina

Roster

New York Knicks roster

• v
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Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From C 25 Bill Cartwright 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1957–07–30 San Francisco PF 42 Pat Cummings 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1956–07–11 Cincinnati C 33 Patrick Ewing 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1962–08–05 Georgetown PG 7 Gerald Henderson 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1956–01–16 VCU SF 30 Bernard King  6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1956–12–04 Tennessee PF 14 Chris McNealy 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1961–07–15 San José State C 44 Jawann Oldham 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1957–07–04 Seattle SF 55 Louis Orr 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1958–05–07 Syracuse PG 2 Rory Sparrow 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1958–06–12 Villanova PF 23 Bob Thornton 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1962–07–10 UC Irvine SG 6 Trent Tucker 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 193 lb (88 kg) 1959–12–20 Minnesota SF 34 Kenny Walker 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1964–08–18 Kentucky C 45 Eddie Lee Wilkins 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1962–05–07 Gardner–Webb SG 21 Gerald Wilkins 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1963–09–11 Chattanooga PF 8 Brad Wright 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1962–03–26 UCLA

Head coach Bob Hill Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Atlantic Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Boston Celtics	59	23	.720	–	39–2	20–21	15–9
x-Philadelphia 76ers	45	37	.549	14	28–13	17–24	12–12
x-Washington Bullets	42	40	.512	17	27–14	15–26	13–11
New Jersey Nets	24	58	.293	35	19–22	5–36	12–12
New York Knicks	24	58	.293	35	18–23	6–35	8–16

#	Eastern Conference v t e
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	c-Boston Celtics	59	23	.720	–
2	y-Atlanta Hawks	57	25	.695	2
3	x-Detroit Pistons	52	30	.634	7
4	x-Milwaukee Bucks	50	32	.610	9
5	x-Philadelphia 76ers	45	37	.549	14
6	x-Washington Bullets	42	40	.512	17
7	x-Indiana Pacers	41	41	.500	18
8	x-Chicago Bulls	40	42	.488	19
9	Cleveland Cavaliers	31	51	.378	28
10	New Jersey Nets	24	58	.293	35
11	New York Knicks	24	58	.293	35

z - clinched division title

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1986-87 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	LAC	LAL	MIL	NJN	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SAC	SAS	SEA	UTA	WAS
Atlanta	—	3–3	4–2	4–2	2–0	2–0	3–3	1–1	1–1	3–3	2–0	1–1	3–3	5–0	5–1	3–3	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	5–0
Boston	3–3	—	6–0	3–2	2–0	2–0	3–2	2–0	2–0	5–1	2–0	0–2	3–3	4–2	4–2	3–3	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–1	4–2
Chicago	2–4	0–6	—	5–1	1–1	1–1	3–3	0–2	0–2	3–2	2–0	0–2	4–2	3–2	4–2	3–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	3–3
Cleveland	2–4	2–3	1–5	—	0–2	1–1	1–5	1–1	0–2	3–3	2–0	0–2	1–5	4–2	4–1	2–4	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	2–4
Dallas	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–0	—	4–2	1–1	5–0	3–3	0–2	5–0	3–2	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	3–2	2–3	5–1	4–2	5–0	3–3	1–1
Denver	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–4	—	0–2	4–1	3–3	1–1	2–3	0–5	1–1	2–0	2–0	0–2	3–2	3–2	2–4	5–1	2–3	2–4	1–1
Detroit	3–3	2–3	3–3	5–1	1–1	2–0	—	1–1	1–1	3–3	2–0	1–1	3–3	5–1	6–0	5–0	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	3–3
Golden State	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–1	0–5	1–4	1–1	—	4–1	0–2	6–0	2–4	0–2	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–5	4–2	4–1	4–1	4–2	2–3	0–2
Houston	1–1	0–2	2–0	2–0	3–3	3–3	1–1	1–4	—	2–0	4–1	1–4	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	3–2	2–3	5–1	5–1	1–4	3–3	1–1
Indiana	3–3	1–5	2–3	3–3	2–0	1–1	3–3	2–0	0–2	—	2–0	0–2	2–4	5–1	3–2	2–4	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	4–2
L.A. Clippers	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–5	3–2	0–2	0–6	1–4	0–2	—	0–6	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–5	0–6	1–4	1–4	2–4	2–3	0–2
L.A. Lakers	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–3	5–0	1–1	4–2	4–1	2–0	6–0	—	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	5–1	5–1	5–0	4–1	4–2	3–2	1–1
Milwaukee	3–3	3–3	2–4	5–1	0–2	1–1	3–3	2–0	2–0	4–2	2–0	1–1	—	4–2	4–2	2–3	2–0	0–2	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	4–1
New Jersey	0–5	2–4	2–3	2–4	0–2	0–2	1–5	0–2	1–1	1–5	1–1	0–2	2–4	—	5–1	3–3	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–4
New York	1–5	2–4	2–4	1–4	0–2	0–2	0–6	0–2	1–1	2–3	2–0	0–2	2–4	1–5	—	3–3	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–4
Philadelphia	3–3	3–3	3–3	4–2	0–2	2–0	0–5	1–1	2–0	4–2	2–0	0–2	3–2	3–3	3–3	—	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	3–3
Phoenix	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–3	2–3	1–1	5–1	2–3	1–1	5–1	1–5	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	—	2–4	2–3	2–3	1–5	4–1	0–2
Portland	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	3–2	2–3	2–0	2–4	3–2	2–0	6–0	1–5	2–0	2–0	2–0	0–2	4–2	—	3–2	4–1	4–2	3–2	1–1
Sacramento	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–5	4–2	1–1	1–4	1–5	1–1	4–1	0–5	0–2	2–0	0–2	0–2	3–2	2–3	—	3–3	2–3	1–5	1–1
San Antonio	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–4	1–5	1–1	1–4	1–5	0–2	4–1	1–4	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	3–2	1–4	3–3	—	1–4	2–4	0–2
Seattle	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–5	3–2	0–2	2–4	4–1	1–1	4–2	2–4	0–2	2–0	2–0	0–2	5–1	2–4	3–2	4–1	—	3–2	1–1
Utah	0–2	1–1	2–0	2–0	3–3	4–2	1–1	3–2	3–3	1–1	3–2	2–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–4	2–3	5–1	4–2	2–3	—	1–1
Washington	0–5	2–4	3–3	4–2	1–1	1–1	3–3	2–0	1–1	2–4	2–0	1–1	1–4	4–2	4–2	3–3	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	—

Game log

Regular season

1986–87 game log Total: 24–58 (home: 18–23; road: 6–35)
October: 0–1 (home: 0–0; road: 0–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
November: 4–11 (home: 3–3; road: 1–8) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
December: 5–9 (home: 4–5; road: 1–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
January: 4–10 (home: 3–3; road: 1–7) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
February: 3–9 (home: 2–4; road: 1–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
March: 6–10 (home: 4–5; road: 2–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
April: 2–8 (home: 2–3; road: 0–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
1986–87 schedule

Player statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Season

Awards and records

Transactions